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Miami Herald

Cat's escape was like a ‘prison break movie.' Then came a long journey home

A cat's daring escape was like a 'prison break movie' — then came a long journey home. George the outdoor cat was visiting a Florida shelter when he 'broke out of his carrier,' scaled an 8-foot fence and vanished into the woods, Randa Richter, humane programs and public media director for the animal organization, told McClatchy News in an email and phone interview. 'He was able to pop that cage open, and he sprung out of there — gone in seconds,' Bob Beasock, who had been taking care of the cat, told WTVT. George went missing from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Florida, leaving Beasock 'heartbroken.' The cat was at the shelter to get neutered and still had anesthesia in his system when he escaped, making his feat that much more remarkable, the shelter told the TV station. Before going on the run, George had been receiving care from community members within the Lakeland-area neighborhood of Loma Verde. The beloved cat was known for being 'stubborn' and was often found curled up in a chair, SPCA Florida wrote in a news release. After about nearly a week of searching, George popped back up in Loma Verde — about 2.7 miles from where he disappeared. Then came a moment of 'overwhelming relief,' according to the shelter. 'There was George — stretched out in his chair in our carport, looking like he had just returned from a grand adventure,' Beasock wrote in the shelter's release. 'He was a bit thinner, clearly hungry, but otherwise no worse for the wear.' After the heartwarming reunion, George basked in a long nap as a reward for all that he had been though. 'The trek from SPCA Florida to Loma Verde isn't terribly long, but for a cat, it's a formidable journey,' Beasock wrote. 'George would have to cross several busy roads, slip past barking dogs, and circle the vast shores of Lake Victoria — all while recovering from surgery.' The shelter is in Lakeland, a roughly 35-mile drive east from Tampa. 'When we heard the news that this cat navigated almost 3 miles to his house, we were just elated with joy,' Richter said.